Jahmil Taylor was a little more than another proud letterman this month when Washburn University made Super Bowl history.

Taylor, a Grandview High graduate who just finished his playing career as a linebacker for Division II Washburn, saw hope. He saw proof positive the NFL will look far and wide for its players.

“I think it was great. I think ESPN went to Washburn to see for themselves,” Taylor said. “Hopefully it helps all of us there. But definitely, I’ve always thought the NFL was a possibility if everything goes right, but when you see those guys in that kind of game, everybody knows it’s possible. It’s all right there with the whole world looking.”

Washburn had two former players in Super Bowl XLVII in New Orleans: Baltimore Ravens cornerback Cary Williams and San Francisco 49ers linebacker and special-teams captain Michael Wilhoite. It was the first time a player from the Topeka, Kan., school with an enrollment of 7,204 made it to the Super Bowl.

Williams’ and Wilhoite’s presence also meant Washburn had more players in this year’s title game than Oklahoma, Notre Dame and Southern California combined and gave the Ichabods the same number of players in this year’s Super Bowl as Alabama and Auburn.

“Cary was there the year I redshirted (2007) and I knew him a little bit and I played with Mike for four years,” Taylor said. “Coming out of high school, I couldn’t really go D-I because I didn’t have the grades for it.

“Washburn recruited me. I went for a visit and I just liked it. It felt right and it was a good place for me to get it together. In the classroom, I just kind of took off the cool shades, kind of looked at life without a filter. I just opened my eyes and realized the bigger picture about what I needed to do.”

Taylor said he remains about a semester short of his degree, but is trying to catch the NFL’s eye, keeping up with daily workouts. Slowed by a high ankle sprain a month into this past season — he was leading his conference in tackles at the time — he finished with 59 tackles in 10 games. He had 113 tackles in 2011 to go with 91 tackles in 2010.

“I think that kind of slowed me down a little bit. I didn’t really feel right for a while,” Taylor said. “But I talked to a few scouts who came through, tried to answer the questions. You just hope you kind of get a look so they want to take a chance on you.”

Taylor still is trying to secure a spot in an on-campus pro day. The NFL’s geographical rules allow draft prospects to work out for teams on their own campus, or in the case of smaller schools, the nearest big program or on campus in, or near, their hometown.

Taylor said he’s hoping to catch on with a spot at Kansas State’s pro day next month, which will have a good turnout since it will include quarterback Collin Klein, a Loveland native who was a Heisman Trophy finalist.

If he can’t get on the field there, he said Air Force’s pro day could be an option. Colorado State-Pueblo tackle Ryan Jensen, with a draft grade from several teams higher than some of the offensive linemen who were invited to next week’s scouting combine, is expected to work out at Air Force’s pro day.

Air Force coach Troy Calhoun is a former Broncos and Houston Texans assistant coach with plenty of ties to the NFL.

“I don’t know what to expect. We’ll see how it all turns out,” Taylor said. “But all you can do is work as hard as you can and try to get an opportunity. I played at Washburn and always believed if you showed potential, the NFL would find you no matter where you were.

“And it’s true. I saw it in the Super Bowl. It’s one thing to believe it, but when you see it with your own eyes, that’s big.”

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